As an avid wine lover (if you couldn’t tell), my mind is constantly spinning, devising ways to put a new twist on the tasty beverage, especially as the warmer months approach. I took to the wonderful world wide web to see what other people had already conceived, and to my surprise, there are overwhelming amounts of incredibly awesome ways people have transformed a normal glass of wine into something, well, so much better!

So put the wine glasses away this summer and venture out with these boozy treats!

When the refreshing combo of raspberry and lime is accompanied by the crisp flavor of white wine and dash of sugar for sweetness, the results are impeccable. When you pull these gorgeous pops out of the freezer, you’re left with the quintessential (adult) summer dessert!

Ingredients

6 Ounces Raspberries

2 Limes

1 Cup Sugar

1 ⅓ Cups Robert Mondavi Fumé Blanc

Yield: 10 boozy popsicles

Total Time

10 hours, 10 minutes

Prep time

5 minutes

Inactive time

10 hours

Cook time

5 minutes

Main Ingredients:

Raspberry, White Wine

1. Add the 6 ounces of raspberries to a small sauce pan, sneaking a few. I mean, raspberries are freaking in season and these organic berries are delicious. Okay, mash them quickly before you eat them all!

2. Add 1/2 cup of the sugar to the raspberries (eating one more ain’t gonna hurt nobody!) and then warm the mixture over a medium-low heat, until it just begins to bubble. This helps combine the sugar with the raspberries. Now remove them from the stove and let them cool. DON’T EAT ANYMORE! That was really more for me than you.

3. In a large measuring cup (one that at least holds 4 cups), juice the two limes. Notice my restraint on not eating the limes? Not the same as raspberries, lovely lovely raspberries.

4. Add the remaining half cup of sugar and let it sit for about 5 minutes, to dissolve. Don’t just stand there and watch. Maybe put on Call Me Maybe and dance around for a few minutes, take a few shots of tequila and then drunk dial an ex? Just a suggestion.

5. Now that the sugar has dissolved into the lime juice, you should have about 1 cup of liquid. No biggie if you do not. Pop open that Fumé Blanc and add enough of the white wine so that you have 2 1/3 cups.

6. So mix together the wine and lime mixture, and set aside about 1/2 cup of it. Take another lime, halving it length-wise and then slice it VERY thinly.

7. Add the raspberry compote to your lime and wine mix, mixing it well and divide it amongst the popsicle molds. Make sure to divide the chunky pieces of raspberries so that everybody gets some.

8. Now place them in the freezer.

9. Only freeze your pops for about an hour. Just enough so they mix is slushy like. Now add a lime slice to each pop and top it off with the remaining lime mixture. Pop them back in the freezer for about 10 hours.

If you know how well wine and cheese pair together, it shouldn’t come as a shock that wine-infused jelly might just become your new favorite cheese and cracker accouterments!

STEP #1 REDUCE IT

Most wine jelly recipes have you empty the entire bottle straight into a pot, add sugar, and start cooking. However, in my experience, reducing a portion of the bottle going into the jelly intensifies the wine’s flavor while cutting the booziness. Reducing 1¼ cups down to ⅓ cup can take 20 minutes, so it’s best to get it going first, even though the reduced wine won’t go in until the end.

STEP #2 SWEETEN IT

Sugar plays an important role in jelly making: it helps preserve, set, and flavor the final product. Thinking of cutting back on sweetness? Think again. Dialing it back too much will prevent your jelly from congealing. I started testing by dissolving 3½ cups sugar in the remaining wine on the stovetop. But I felt the sweetness was a bit too much, so I started cutting it back. I was only able to lose ¼ cup sugar before my jelly lost its jiggle.

STEP #3 THICKEN IT

Some purists shy away from commercial pectin, but since this recipe starts with a bottle of wine, not a plethora of a pectin-rich fruit, it seemed like a hassle to do anything other than rip open a pouch of the liquid stuff. Along with it, I stir in a little lemon juice (for flavor) and a dot of butter. The butter seems weird, but there’s a reason. As the mixture boils, air bubbles rising to the surface create foam. Most recipes require skimming foam (it can cause problems when canning, plus it doesn’t look great), but I found the fat from a little butter allows the bubbles to surface, then disappear.

STEP #4 REINFORCE IT

Lastly, I add the reduced wine to give the jelly a final punch of flavor. The jelly will still be quite fluid at this point, but don’t worry, it will set up perfectly after a little time (you may notice it thickening on the sides of the saucepan or on your spoon).

STEP #5 SET IT

Transfer your finished wine jelly to jars and let cool to room temperature, then pop them in the fridge. Just remember that sometimes it takes up to 24 hours for the wine mixture to gel and really look like jelly. You just gotta be patient.

STEP #6 EAT IT

Once it’s set, I serve the jelly with a wide range of cheeses, from soft goat to pungent blue, or even smoky idiazabal.

Why we have never meshed wine and ice cream together before is beyond me! These two make an satiating duo that should never be separated! A bubbly sweet Moscato mixes perfectly with a big scoop of creamy vanilla!

INGREDIENTS

1 Bottle Mirassou Moscato Wine

Strawberry Pop

Vanilla Ice Cream

INSTRUCTIONS

While this recipe is technically just a sangria granita, adding the adorable snow cone touch makes it so much cuter, don’t you think?! Incorporating some of autumn’s favorite ingredients like pomegranate juice, cinnamon, orange and blackberries, this refreshing dish will be the perfect touch to end-of-summer get together.

Sangria Granita Snow Cones (makes 6 small snow cones)

1/2 cup fresh squeezed orange juice
1/2 cup pomegranate juice

3/4 cup water
1/2 cup sugar
10 blackberries (more for garnishing)

2 cinnamon sticks (more for garnishing)
2 cups Apothic Dark Wine

Directions

In a large pot, combine the sugar and water and heat on low until melted.

Add in the pomegranate juice, orange juice blackberries and cinnamon sticks. Bring to a slight boil, then simmer on low for 15 mins. Let all of the ingredients infuse together until the blackberries lose their color.

Remove the blackberries, pour in the wine and simmer for another 5 minutes.

Remove the cinnamon sticks.

Pour into a deep container, such as a metal loaf pan.

Freeze overnight.

Use a fork to shave the sangria.

Serve in a snow cone cup with a blackberry and cinnamon stick and enjoy!

Chocolate and wine, a girl’s best friend. Now combine these two indulgences into one sensational bite, and you’ve got yourself every PMSing woman’s dream come true. This recipe uses deep red wine to intensify the already decadently rich fudge brownies!

Preheat the oven to 350. Butter an 8×8 pan and line with two sheets of parchment paper, then butter the parchment. Set aside.

Melt the chocolate and the butter together in a heatproof bowl set over a saucepan of barely simmering water, stirring occasionally until melted and smooth.

In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, sugars and vanilla. Whisk in the chocolate mixture and then the wine. Add the flour, cocoa powder and salt and stir until the batter is smooth and has thickened slightly. Fold in the chocolate chips, if using.

Pour into the prepared pan and bake for 15-20 minutes or until a tester comes out mostly clean with just a few crumbs attached. You may need to bake the brownies for a few minutes more, but set your timer for 15 minutes and then hang out in your kitchen for the last few minutes of baking time just to make sure they don’t over bake. An underbaked brownie is better than an overbaked one.

While the brownies are baking make the glaze. Melt the chocolate in a heatproof bowl set over simmering water until melted. Add the butter, wine and salt and whisk until smooth. Pour the glaze over the warm brownies and spread it to the corners so the top is evenly coated.

I was hesitant at first with this unique recipe, but after trying the results, I take back all reluctance – this recipe is a hidden gem! The contrasting flavors of dry white wine, sour greek yogurt and sweet sugar create a wonderful concoction that will leave your tastebuds craving more!

Ingredients

2 cups full-fat Greek yogurt, cold

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup dry white wine, cold

Lemon juice, to taste

Salt, to taste

Procedures

In a large bowl, whisk yogurt and sugar together until sugar is dissolved. Stir in wine with lemon juice and salt to taste (start with 1/4 teaspoon of each).

Transfer to an ice cream maker and churn according to manufacturer’s instructions. Serve immediately for soft serve, or freeze 2 to 3 hours for a firmer consistency.

Wine is about to get a little more in touch with its roots in this simple recipe. By marinating grapes in a jar of cold white wine, you get to enjoy a nice healthy snack with a little added punch! Roll the grapes in a bit of sugar for a dash of sweetness, or consider popping them into the freezer for a few hours to be later used to keep your glass of white wine nice and chilled!